Accounting experts to make Crundwell documentary

BY EMILY K. COLEMAN ecoleman@saukvalley.com 800-798-4085, ext. 526

DIXON – An accounting professor and a retired forensic accountant will be taking the pulse of Dixon residents Monday morning.

Kelly Pope, an accounting professor at De-Paul University, and Tom Golden, a retired forensic accounting partner with PricewaterhouseCoop-ers, are making a documentary film covering the events surrounding the arrest of Rita Crundwell.

The former Dixon comptroller was charged with federal wire fraud in connection with what prosecutors say is the misappropriation of more than $53 million in city funds.

Pope and Golden began filming at Crundwell’s arraignment hearing and will be setting up to interview local residents between 8 a.m. and noon Monday at Books on First, 202 W. First St.

“The documentary will, of course, cover all the financial aspects, but a big part of this sensational fraud is the human-interest side,” Golden wrote in an email. “Who was Rita Crundwell, and what could have caused her to commit these crimes, especially to those she knew in her own community? How does a community move forward?”